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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2021) | Viewed by 17658

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Majid Amidpour

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Chief Guest Editor

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Interests: desalination; water-energy nexus; process integration; constructal theory; energy savings; renewable energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Catalina Spataru

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Assistant Guest Editor

Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK
Interests: resource nexus (water–energy–land–food–materials); governance; scenarios analysis; sustainability; systems modelling
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Prof. Dr. José María Ponce-Ortega

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Assistant Guest Editor

Chemical Engineering Department, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, México
Interests: optimization; water–energy–food nexus; process integration

Dr. Hooman Farzaneh

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Assistant Guest Editor

Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 76-1, Kasuga-koen, Kasuga-shi, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
Interests: energy systems modeling; co-benefits assessment of climate change mitigation strategies; hybrid renewable energy systems; energy systems integration
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Dr. Weifeng He

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Assistant Guest Editor

College of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Interests: desalination; heat and mass transfer; turbomachinery; energy conservation and recovery; renewable energy
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Prof. Dr. Behnam Mohammadi-Ivatloo

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Assistant Guest Editor

Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, 29 Bahman Boulevard, Iran
Interests: integrated energy systems; smart grid; energy storage; optimization of energy systems
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Dr. Viviani Onishi

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Assistant Guest Editor

School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Merchiston Campus, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK
Interests: mathematical modelling; optimization; thermal and membrane desalination; zero-liquid discharge systems; renewable energy-driven desalination systems; water–energy nexus; integrated polygeneration and desalination systems; energy integration; process intensification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A typical mechanical or chemical unit consists of several utility centers interconnected by several process streams. Due to the high consumption rate of water and energy in these processes, the design of high efficiency and cost-effective strategies for lowering this consumption rate is known as a determinative factor in the current market. Energy and Water Integrated (EWI) systems can be regarded as one solution to tackle such problems in real industrial applications. EWI refers to identifying any synergetic infrastructure between water and energy to provide greater opportunities by the appropriate integration of processes that can lead to mutual benefits with high safety, resiliency, and reliability.

Over recent years, several comprehensive studies have been carried out to propose productive solutions for water stress in the energy sectors. However, statistical data underline the fact that a long distance still remains from the investigation of new strategies or completing the previously devised schemes to select the most practical and economical solutions. The main aim of this Special Issue on “Energy and Water Integrated Systems” is to introduce technologies with high efficiency as well as low environmental and cost penalties. The main priorities of the research are as follows:

Proposing high efficiency and cost-effective water treatment methods;
Employing various renewable energies (in solo or hybrid form) with high energy conversion efficiency and low operating and investment cost instead of conventional fossil fuels;
Investigating practical solutions for desalinating seawater for the main chain of the processing units;
Applications of total site utility concepts for polygeneration of water and energy;
Applying constructal theory concepts to build more resilient and high efficiency EWI systems;
Proposing policies to further remove the existing obstacles for EWI and institutional arrangements for water–energy nexus decision-making;
Recommending novel and practical solutions for environmental monitoring techniques;
Using new or modified optimization techniques for highly constrained EWI systems based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) techniques;
Regulations and standards needed for water–energy management
Planning of water–energy management strategies
Proposing new methods and metrics to account for a water–energy–environment nexus applicable for EWI systems;
Investigating the role of sustainable resource management with the help of new/modified decision-making tools;
Managing uncertainties in the planning and operation of WEI systems;
Propose new indicators for water–energy-related services and their use in hydro-economic assessment and scenario analysis;
Detecting and preventing cyber/physical attacks on WEI systems;
Evaluating and improving the reliability and resiliency of WEI systems.

The present Special Issue aims at introducing new innovative technologies regarding water for the energy sectors in commercial or residential areas in order to create positive impacts on society and science. The new methods and regulations introduced through this worldwide scientific collaboration will facilitate the widespread implementation of EWI systems with robust infrastructure and easy tracking guidelines.

Prof. Dr. Majid Amidpour
Prof. Dr. Catalina Spataru
Prof. Dr. José María Ponce-Ortega
Assoc. Pro Hooman Farzaneh
Prof. Dr. W.F. He
Prof. Dr. Behnam Mohammadi-Ivatloo
Dr. Viviani Onishi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

energy–water integrated (EWI) systems
water–energy nexus
resiliency in EWI

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 6264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Management of the Electrical-Energy–Water–Food Nexus Using Robust Optimization

by Morteza Ahangari Hassas, Navid Taghizadegan Kalantari, Behnam Mohammadi-Ivatloo and Amin Safari

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 172; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010172 - 24 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2397

Abstract

The significance of the security of electrical energy, water, and food resources in the future, which are inextricably connected, has led to increasing attention to this important issue in studies. This is an issue inattention to which can have irreparable consequences in the future. One of the sectors where electrical energy, water, and food are very closely associated is agriculture. Undoubtedly, the ability to properly manage electrical energy, hydropower, and food resources that have many uncertainties brings about the development of agriculture on the one hand and the optimal allocation of electrical energy, water, and land resources on the other. Thus, while reaching the highest economic profit, the greenhouse gas emissions reach the minimum possible value too. In this study, via robust optimization and by precisely considering the existing uncertainties, a model was developed for the optimal allocation of electrical energy, water, and land resources for a region in the north of China. In addition to acknowledging the close relationship between electrical energy, water, and food sources, the results show the method’s effectiveness for sustainable management in agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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20 pages, 5502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Water-Power System Resilience Analysis in a Southeastern Idaho Irrigation District: Minidoka Case Study

by Ange-Lionel Toba, Liam Boire and Timothy McJunkin

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10906; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910906 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2102

Abstract

This study investigates the joint water–power system resilience of an irrigation district in southeastern Idaho. Irrigation districts face difficulties in the delivery of water to farmers under drought conditions, during equipment failures, or unplanned infrastructure disruptions. The resilience of interconnected water and power systems can be better analyzed and understood through an integrated approach, using a model that connects the dependencies between the two halves of the system. Using a multi-agent system model capturing both water and power system components, as well as their linkages, we capture the interdependencies of these systems and highlight opportunities for improvement when faced with disruptions. Through simulation scenarios, we examine the system resilience using system performance, quantified as the percentage of met demand of the power and water system, when subjected to drought water year, an unforeseen water demand increase, power outage and dam failure. Scenario results indicate that the effects of low flow years are mostly felt in the power system; unexpected increases in water demand marginally impact irrigation system performance; dams and pumps present vulnerabilities of the system, causing substantial unmet demand during disruptions. Noting the interdependencies between the water–power system halves while leveraging an integrated simulation allows for an insightful analysis of the system impacts during disruptions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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18 pages, 2218 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Establishing Surrogate Model to Predict the Optimal Thermodynamic and Economic Performance of a Packed Bed Humidifier via Multi-Objective Optimization

by Junjie Chen, Dong Han, Weifeng He and Majid Amidpour

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8346; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13158346 - 27 Jul 2021

Viewed by 1576

Abstract

In this paper, to optimize the thermodynamic and economic performance of a packed bed humidifier, a multi-objective optimization combined response surface method with a genetic algorithm is employed. The critical parameters, including geometric and thermodynamic parameters, are designated as the impact factors, and the objective functions contain unit humidification capacity of volume and unit humidification capacity of cost in a Box–Behnken design. The results of the analysis of variance demonstrated that the quadratic regression models of objectives are reliable and robust. It is found that the liquid–gas ratio, the interaction of the liquid–gas ratio, and inlet water temperature are simultaneously the strongest influence factors for the thermodynamic and economic indicators among the independent and interactive parameters. In addition, the optimal parameter group is found out through a genetic algorithm, and the actual optimal results are obtained as 0.11 kgs⁻¹m⁻³ for thermodynamic performance and 15.86 kg$⁻¹ for economic performance. Furthermore, it is shown that the thermodynamic performance improves by 56% and the economic performance increases by 6.55%, compared with optimum experimental design points. During the optimization design process, the computational time to find the optimal values reduces from 69,000 s with previous mathematical models to 10 s with established regression models. Additionally, a series of Pareto-optimal points for possible best thermodynamic and economic performance give the reference for the designers of packed bed humidifiers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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40 pages, 4905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seawater Desalination via Waste Heat Recovery from Generator of Wind Turbines: How Economical Is It to Use a Hybrid HDH-RO Unit?

by Hadi Rostamzadeh, Saeed Rostami, Majid Amidpour, Weifeng He and Dong Han

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7571; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13147571 - 06 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1896

Abstract

Over recent years, the concept of waste heat recovery from the generators of wind turbines for driving a thermal-driven desalination system was introduced, and its advantages were highlighted. However, any selection of a bottoming thermal-driven desalination system among different existing technologies should be taken under consideration before making an ultimate recommendation. Unfortunately, no comprehensive comparison is available in the literature to compare the performance as well as the cost aspects of using the waste thermal energy of the generator of a wind turbine for desalinating seawater, comparing them with those of a layout where the power of the wind turbine is directly supplied to a mechanically driven desalination system for the same amount of drinkable water production. This study aims at analyzing the economic aspects of waste heat recovery from the generators of wind turbines for seawater desalination via the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) approach, versus the reverse osmosis (RO) unit. For this purpose, a closed-air water-heater HDH unit, directly coupled with a RO unit (called a hybrid HDH-RO unit) is employed, in which thermal energy is provided by the heat dissipating from the generator of the wind turbine while its power is supplied directly by the wind turbine. The energetic and exergetic performance, along with the cost aspects of a hybrid HDH-RO unit driven by the wind turbine, are compared with those of a solo RO unit. The results of the study were extended for six different types of wind turbines, and we concluded that the unit cost associated with the freshwater produced by the waste heat recovery approach is astronomically higher than that of the solo RO system for all wind turbine models, and hence is not practically feasible. It was found that more power can be recovered from the discarded brine from the solo RO unit than the hybrid HDH-RO unit. In addition, the solo RO desalination system, working directly with the power of the wind turbine, has a less complex configuration, and hence its investment cost rate is significantly lower than that needed for setting up an HDH-RO unit. At high wind speeds, however, the cost penalty associated with the freshwater produced by the HDH-RO unit decreases, but it is still huge. Among all screened wind turbines, the GW-136/4.8 is most appealing in terms of greater power generation, but its investment cost rate is the highest among all models due to its high rated power value. However, the freshwater unit cost of the GW-136/4.8 is significantly lower than the values obtained for other models. Finally, the two locations of Manjil and Zabol are selected as a benchmark and the results of the simulation are extended for these locations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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27 pages, 4172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of a MSF Desalination System with a HDH System for Brine Recovery

by Dahiru U. Lawal, Mohamed A. Antar and Atia E. Khalifa

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3506; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13063506 - 22 Mar 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2930

Abstract

A hybrid Multi-Stage Flash–Humidification Dehumidification (MSF-HDH) desalination system is investigated for energy recovery from an MSF system. The hybrid MSF-HDH system increases total productivity and performance ratio and reduces brine rejection. Hot condensed steam that leaves the MSF brine heater is used to warm the rejected pretreated brine from MSF to a higher temperature suitable for HDH system operation (about 60 °C). This allows us to increase the product (desalinated water) without additional “external” energy input to the hybrid system. Four different layouts of the integrated MSF-HDH system are presented and compared. The results show that an HDH system can utilize over 66% of an existing MSF brine blowdown, while the hybrid system can achieve a gained output ratio—GOR, water recovery ratio—RR, productivity and freshwater cost of 8.73, 44.86%, 30,549 m³/day and 1.068 $/m³ of freshwater, respectively. Utilizing 66.96% of MSF brine blowdown by the HDH system leads to a daily HDH productivity of about 670 m³ of drinking water, which is enough to support 134,000 persons considering a daily consumption of 5 L of drinking water per person. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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20 pages, 7234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of U-Tube Borehole Heat Exchanger with Different Cross-Sections

by Aizhao Zhou, Xianwen Huang, Wei Wang, Pengming Jiang and Xinwei Li

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3255; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13063255 - 16 Mar 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1778

Abstract

For reducing the initial GSHP investment, the heat transfer efficiency of the borehole heat exchange (BHE) system can be enhanced to reduce the number or depth of drilling. This paper proposes a novel and simple BHE design by changing the cross-sectional shape of the U-tube to increase the heat transfer efficiency of BHEs. Specifically, in this study, we (1) verified the reliability of the three-dimensional numerical model based on the thermal response test (TRT) and (2) compared the inlet and outlet temperatures of the different U-tubes at 48 h under the premise of constant leg distance and fluid area. Referent to the circular tube, the increases in the heat exchange efficiencies of the curved oval tube, flat oval tube, semicircle tube, and sector tube were 13.0%, 19.1%, 9.4%, and 14.8%, respectively. (3) The heat flux heterogeneity of the tubes on the inlet and outlet sides of the BHE, in decreasing order, is flat oval, semicircle, curved oval, sector, and circle shapes. (4) The temperature heterogeneity of the borehole wall in the BHE in decreasing order is circle, sector, curved oval, flat oval, and semicircle shapes. (5) Under the premise of maximum leg distance, referent to the heat resistance of the tube with a circle shape at 48 h, the heat exchange efficiency of the curved oval, flat oval, semicircle, and sector tubes increased 12.6%, 17.7%, 10.3%, and 7.8%, respectively. (6) We found that the adjustments of the leg distance and the tube shape affect the heat resistance by about 25% and 12%, respectively. (7) The flat-oval-shaped tube at the maximum leg distance was found to be the best tube design for BHEs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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Other

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16 pages, 6103 KiB

Open AccessTechnical Note

Feasibility of Utilizing Photovoltaics for Irrigation Purposes in Moamba, Mozambique

by Arsénio José Mindú, Jó António Capece, Rui Esteves Araújo and Armando C. Oliveira

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10998; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910998 - 04 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2071

Abstract

Agriculture plays a significant role in the labor force and GDP of Mozambique. Nonetheless, the energy source massively used for water pumping in irrigation purposes is based on fossil fuels (diesel oil). Despite the water availability and fertile soils in Moamba, Mozambique, farmers struggle with the high cost of fuels used in the pumping systems. This study was sought to analyze the feasibility of utilizing a solar photovoltaic system as a means to reduce the environmental impact caused by the diesel pumps and simultaneously alleviate the expenses regarding the use of non-environmentally friendly technologies. Site observations and interviews were undertaken in order to obtain local data regarding the water demand, current energy systems costs and distances from the source to the irrigated fields. CLIMWAT 2.0 was used for climate data acquisition and analysis. The environmental benefits, the cost effectiveness and local climate conditions show that the PV system is feasible in Moamba. Furthermore, parameters such as hydraulic energy, incident solar energy, pump efficiency and total system efficiency were used to predict the performance of the system. The results obtained are important to analyze the implementation of such energy systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy and Water Integration System)

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